This was my first real thrash show (and this is my first setlist) and I was definitely not disappointed. Lightning Swords of Death, Evile and Kataklysm were the openers.

I didn't dig Lightnings Swords of Death at all, despite having an absolutely awesome bassist. Their sound was horrible and the songs just didn't really go anywhere. It just seemed like "chugga chugga high pitched cookie monster chugga chugga" while the bassist would do slides, tapping and just in general shredding while everyone else was doing some pedestrian death metal stuff. I couldn't hear the singer well at all, let alone understand him with his stupid failure death metal voice, considering so many other singers have done death growls so well (especially Chuck Billy from Testament).

Next up was Evile, and they tore it up. They were the first band to really get the pit going and they seemed so humble about being in America. I don't own any of their stuff yet, but I believe they played the same set as everywhere else. I was right in front of Ol Drake for their set and seeing his fingers fly during those solos was just mindblowing.

Infected Nation
We Who Are About to Die
Time No More
Thrasher
Bathe in Blood
Enter the Grave

Then came Kataklysm, and while they definitely gave a spirited performance, they just weren't my bag. Had I been more of a death metal fan, then I'm sure I would've loved them. To me, their songs sounded just like simple mid-tempo death metal. On a side note, their singer dedicated a song to a fan who brought his little kids along for the show. Very cool of the singer for doing that, and very awesome of the dad for exposing his kids to Kreator.

Finally they arrived. Mille and the gang came out and completely tore shit up. From where I was, the bass was a little too high during the show, and during The Pestilence, the guitars were close to inaudible compared to the bass. This got fixed about halfway through Hordes of Chaos, and then the sound was golden. Throughout the set the pit gradually grew in size until it finally peaked out at Coma of Souls. I was on the rail, and I'd turn behind me and the entire place was just a giant pit. Absolutely nuts to say the least. Hearing When the Sun Burns Red live was crazy awesome, and then Flag of Hate/Tormentor was icing on the cake. One thing to note though, Mille sounded somewhat bored during Pleasure to Kill. Poor guy has probably had to sing that song some 2400 times or more if Kreator has done 100 shows per year since 1986. The setlist was the same as the other shows, but Servant In Heaven, King In Hell was replaced with Amok Run, which is great in my eyes since Hordes of Chaos is one of my favorite Kreator albums.

Overall, definitely worth the 25 dollar ticket. Evile and Kreator alone were worth it, and even if I didn't really enjoy them, I'm happy to have given Kataklysm a fair chance. Lightning Swords of Death, well... maybe next time guys.

I was so glad Seattle was the start of the 2nd half of the tour with Kataklysm. I have to say at my show I didn't mind the Lightning swords of death, although the 30 minutes or so that they played was enough of their style for me.

For anyone that is interested I believe the Kataklysm set was something like this. The only song I don't remember if they played or not was Bound in Chains, but I believe they did. All the other songs they did play. I didn't write down the set so THESE ARE NOT IN ORDER.

Like Angels Weeping (The Dark)
The Ambassador of Pain
Prevail
It Turns to Rust (Said they had never played it in the U.S. before...)
Blood On The Swans
As I Slither
In Shadows and Dust
Crippled & Broken
Bound in Chains (I think)
Let Them Burn
Blood in Heaven